a. and sb. [a. F. fébrifuge, f. (on L. type *febrifugus) L. febri-, febris fever + fug-āre to drive away.]
A. adj. = FEBRIFUGAL.
1707. Curios. in Husb. & Gard., 235. Perriwinkle is vulnerary, astringent and febrifuge.
1725. N. St. André, in Lond. Gaz., No. 6349/3. Testaceous Powders and Febrifuge Juleps.
1803. Davy, in Phil. Trans., XCIII. 268. Barks supposed to be possessed of febrifuge properties.
1860. Piesse, Lab. Chem. Wonders, 171. Nearly all the bitter plants are called febrifuge from their power to cure fever.
B. sb. A medicine adapted to drive away or to reduce fever; hence, a cooling drink.
1686. W. Harris, trans. Lemery’s Chym. (ed. 3), 487. Divers other ingredients, thought to be Febrifuges.
1744. Berkeley, Siris, § 7. Therefore tar-water, not being impregnated with resin may be safely used in inflammatory cases: and in fact it hath been found an admirable febrifuge, at once the safest cooler and cordial.
1860. Reade, Cloister & H., IV. 305. The grand febrifuge of anchorites—cold water.
1861. G. F. Berkeley, Sportsm. W. Prairies, vi. 96. He had however some effervescing lemonade, so I contented myself with that febrifuge.
transf. and fig. 1815. Scott, Guy M., viii. Chanting a rhyme which she believed sovereign as a febrifuge.
1851. Ruskin, Stones Ven. (1874), I. App. 364. Geometry seems to have acted as a febrifuge.
a. 1859. De Quincey, in H. A. Page, Life, I. iii. 34. The rough febrifuge which this awaking administered.
